THE GENESEE FARMER. 



REFUSE PULPSFROM CIDER MILLS AS AlFERTI- 

 LIZER FO R APP LE TREES. 



M. Freke Heney, of Rennes, in an article com- 

 municated to the Abeille Pomologlque, mentions 

 the following interesting facts : 



For fifteen years he remarked that apple tree?, 

 the lower part of whose stems was covered with 

 cider pressings, spreading out from a large adjoining 

 heap of that material, made double and treble the 

 growth of trees that were not so circumstanced. 



ticularly to draw attention is, that some delicate 

 varieties of which the fruit is apt to crack, for 

 example, the Beurre d'Aremberg, or Glou Morceau, 

 Doyenne Roux, Beurre Gris, &c, now produce fruit 

 perfectly smooth and sound. 



" In conclusion, I am justified, by my own 

 experience, in saying that I can confidently recom- 

 mend the use of the marc of apples as a manure I 

 for fruit trees, and thus turn to good account a 

 substance which many allow to go to waste, not 



More recently,- between old and extremely even taking the trouble to mix it with the dung in 



exhausted willow stools, there was spread about 

 nine inches thick of old marc, or cider pressings. 

 In the same year of the application this produced 

 an extraordinary effect. Those Willow stools, 

 which for many years had produced only weak 

 twigs, scarcely worth the expense of cutting, 

 pushed with great vigor, and have since continued 



the manure heaps. 



" Before using the marc it would probably be 

 advisable to throw it up in a large heap, so as to 

 induce fermentation in order to disengage certain 

 acid or other principles ; and then apply it to the 

 trees when the germination of the pips takes place, 

 that is, in the month of February. Fruit trees in 



pilBUCU WllUJ & iv.i* u "fc,«-1 --" 1 t - 



to do so. In consequence of these observations, gardens, and doubtless also those m nelas, treated 



__ - -i , «t ^ it „„+^a 1nV,A»t n linn/Iron. 



he determined on turning to account, as manure 

 for fruit trees, an enormous heap of marc which 

 blocked up the way. He asked the opinion of 

 some fruit growers ; but they said the marc would 

 burn the roots. However, in the beginning of 

 February, observing that the pips were beginning 

 to germinate all over the surface of the heap, he 

 concluded that if the radicals of the embryo were 

 act burned, it was not likely the older roots would 

 be injured, and did not hesitate to apply the ma- 

 nure to four hundred apple and pear trees, in the 

 following manner : 



In February, 1859, he removed the soil from 

 around trees, trained as pyramids and as vases, to 

 the distanee of a radius of twenty-one inches, and 

 as deep as the principal upper roots. He then put 

 to each tree three or four forkfuls of marc, pressing 



as above detailed, would repay the labor a hundred- 

 fold." m , w ._ 



UTILITY OF SMALL BIRDS. 



" I have taken ' the liberty to send you in a 



little box what may amuse you. Here there have 



been, on the part of the farmers and cottagers. 



great complaints made of the mischief done bj 



small birds to corn fields and gardens. In vain di< 



some hold the argument that these small robber: 



did as much good in destroying grubs and cater 



pillars as harm to wheat and black currants. Fo 



the last two years the township has not only paii 



for- all dead sparrows, but so much a dozen fo 



all birds' eggs. I am afraid to say how man; 



thousand dozen of eggs were taken and paid for 



and as I believe, mainly in consequence of thi 



t down with the foot, and covering it slightly with (aided, perhaps, by the mild winter), we have th 



a portion of the removed soil, the remainder of year such a plague of caterpillars and grubs as 



whkh was spread on the borders. As marc is very never remember. Since I last wrote to you, I haj 



retentive of moisture, and at the same time a good had three women constantly employed picking o| 



conductor of heat, which was excessive in 1859, 1 gooseberry, apple and currant trees and our d 



numerous roots were speedily formed in its slowly struction of caterpillars has been by bushels. 



decomposing substance. « Even this year,' says felt so convinced that this plague was partly own 



Mr Henry, "-although rather colder than usual, the to the last two years' destruction of birds that 



effects of the impulse given as above to vegetation my own grounds and in all the coverts I order 



s remarkably apparent. The stems of the fruit the nests not to be molested. I now enclose % 



IL have become clear of Linchens and Moss ; the head of a sparrow I shot this morning in 



and latent buds, from the abundant flow of sap, garden. This was done to test what tood i cl 



were readily developed on making an incision take to its nest. I hope the head ^jeaohj 



where branches were wanted to be called into ex- in the same state in which it was picked up j 



Sence. Bad growers,, such as the Mouillebouche with three green caterpillars and three dadd -ioi 



"nd Bezi de Caissoy Pears, were thus made to legs in its beak. If one journey from its n 



flr^r ve-etotion could collect so many, it is easy to guess hownm 



P T B :;;i^Ltlwould wish more P a, I may be done by them to clear trees. Mytreesf, 



